Saturday, 17 November 2018

Brooks excels but can't save Wales from defeat

Watching David Brooks as the Welsh national anthem roars out for the match against Denmark gets you right in the chest. Wearing number 19 Brooks started on the right wing with Gareth Bale just to his left. What a stage for the young man, could he get Wales into UEFA's Nation League A teams? Not quite.
David Brooks demonstrated that he is already a player totally at ease at the international level.
Brooks was straight into the action taking the first corner but it was low and easy to clear form the front post. Brooks then put in a great cross on nine minutes for the right, cutting back on his left foot to find Chester who could only head over. Brooks then ran from his own half beating three players and cutting in to find Lawrence fire over on 15 minutes. Taking the corner, Brooks delivered the ball well, but Chester headed over again.

David Brooks also did his defensive work in clearing a ball on 18 minutes from Wales' penalty area. He won a throw on 16 minutes after some recovery work on the right with Bale. Finding space was tricky as Denmark were looking to double up on Brooks after his earlier flourishes.

Wales' young winger then popped up on the left and found Bale who chipped, but only onto the roof of the net. David was again involved on 25 minutes in the build up play for a Bale header that drifted just wide. Lawrence and Brooks almost had a one-two going in the Danish box as the first half drew towards a close with the Welsh 0-1 down.


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Brooks started the second half playing more down the middle. Bale put in a cross from the right and Brooks' run to the near post almost gave Wales a goal, but Kasper Schmeichel did just enough to put Wales' No 19 off on 47 minutes.

Taking a free kick, Brooks was doing his bit from dead ball situations. A long throw was flicked on to Brooks on 51 minutes, but he couldn't quite get it the shot on target leaning back to hook the ball back over his shoulder.

A drop of the shoulder and brooks was away again on 57 minutes beating three Denmark players in one move and pushing forward before hitting a fierce drive that soared just over the top left corner of the goal. A short corner led to Brooks finding Roberts but the shot was straight at Schmeichel.

A long ball from Brooks reached Ramsey in the box, but he couldn't find a Welsh player in support. Wales were trying to ramp it up in the last half hour, but Denmark were defending well. Brooks playing out wide then put in a strong early cross that took Schmeichel out but the Welsh players couldn't get to the ball first.

Braithwaite's smart finish with just three minutes looked to have finished things before Bale pulled one back. It was a superb performance by David Brooks that had me wondering just how good he is going to be in a few year's time with all the experience he is quickly gathering. While Wales didn't get the result they wanted, Brooks was something to for them to go home pleased about.

In other news, Nathan Aké came on in the 90+2 minute to see the Netherlands beat World Champions France 2-0.

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